Italian ambassadors of European death metal - 72%

If you ask a metalhead to mention a metal band from Italy, I don't think that a death metal band would come up to his or her mind. Italy gave many bands to the European metal scene from almost every genres except this one. Although, I've heard about Maleficarum and Excidium, and of course, some other groups with death influences, but that's all, and none of them were playing the tech-death style. So this combat unit called Murder Therapy have armed themselves with this brutal weapon called “Symmetry Of Delirium” to set their flag on this yet unconquered area.

And yes, this analogy is correct, if I were a soldier, I would feel myself in safe with this lethal weapon on any enemy territory. The music is ruthless technical death metal at its best with many broken rhythms and with some core elements (but it's still good for the taste of the oldschool fans). This quintet play this genre nicely with a sound that is really close to perfection (although, there's an unnecessary explosion effect here which lasts for a half second and distorts the sound totally, but it's a tiny, short mistake.) However, the songwriting is the weakest part of their work. It's not bad but not really outstanding either. There are some really good songs such as 'Extra-Ordinary Perfect Machine' or 'Two Shots In Colebrook' with its hard rock influenced refrain, they are both well-composed and they have a unique feeling but I can't say that it's also true for the rest. I admit that they play this style brutally but it makes the music unmemorable, you won't find here neither guitar solos in Necrophagist's/Arsis's style nor catchy guitar riffs (except a few ones). But yes, it's heavy as hell. There's a hidden track on the album - a speech mixed onto the intro of 'Asymmetry' – which was unnecessary I think, but it fits into the atmosphere, so it's okay.

Rating this record was as hard as to digest the music on it. The quality of the production is the highest, many famous bands would dream of this heavy sound. The music is complex, it's definitely without mistakes, it's performed very well and it is way better than the average. But still, despite that there's no mistake on this album, it's not an outstanding record. Before this full-length, they released an EP which gained many positive reviews so they have the potential there's no doubt about it. But I think, they show it mostly in the second part of the album which is better and has more opportunities. All in all, it's a good debut and they have the chance to be called as the “Italian ambassadors of the European death metal”. Of course, it's recommended for the death metal fans, but be careful: it's heaviness will kick your brain out of your head!

( Originally written for: http://kronosmortus.hu )

Murder Therapy - Symmetry of delirium - 75%

I’ve been receiving promos from Deity Down Records for a couple of years now, I think, and it’s had its ups and downs. Some stuff have been really killer while other records haven’t really been my cup of tea. But that’s left me with a somewhat ambiguous mind when it comes to new promos from them, I never know what to expect and I can’t be certain it’ll appeal to me. And to be honest, Murder Therapy’s debut album has some of the ugliest cover artwork I’ve seen in a long time, so I didn’t really have high hopes for this one. But I was very pleasantly surprised only a minute or two into "The scourge", ‘cause it was evident this baby packed a punch.

I’ve read some reviews of this album, and what’s become painfully obvious to me is that most webzines suck big time, and the people who write for them couldn’t tell their head from their arse. Hopefully I won’t be considered such as well after this. Murder Therapy have a somewhat European flair to their sound, albeit with an American insurgence. The drumming at times remind me of some Vader material, but mostly during some of the blast parts, as the remainder of the drumming here is much more progressive and technical. Everything has a certain experimental touch to it, and riffing-wise it goes for both technicality and heavy churning, on occasion actually getting me thinking of what’s otherwise called mathcore. "Symmetry of delirium" contains some of the spastic, schizo-tendencies of said genre, but sealed within the massive death metal recipe that remains their base. They can sound just like Deranged one minute while the next gets me thinking of Dying Fetus, only to go all-out experimental in riffing to get flashbacks of earlier The Dillinger Escape Plan material (minus most hardcore tendencies, though).

So there’s a wide variety of death metal subgenres and styles comprised into one album, and it makes for a sound of their own. I wouldn’t consider it to be outright unique, but I can’t say it sounds really like another particular band. It’s technical and progressive without getting out of hand. There are quite a few tempo changes and twists and turns to be discovered, and I love the fact that they manage to cram in everything into rather short songs, most of which are under three minutes. Funnily, though, is the fact that the gruffy vocals remind me of a mixture of Chris Barnes and Corpsegrinder, so I guess that gives it just a wee bit of Cannibal Corpse flair while pretty much not sounding anything like them. The warm production lets every instrument takes its rightful place in the mix, the drum sound is full and the riffing heavy. It’s a very massive album that I’m sure will please fans of various genres as long as they keep an open mind.